Honorary Patriarch Filaret of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has died
20 March 12:47
On Friday, March 20, Filaret, the honorary patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, passed away at the age of 98.
This was announced on social media by the Primate of the OCU, Metropolitan Epiphanius, writes "Komersant Ukrainian".
“Today, there is deep sorrow and grief in my heart, as well as in the hearts of many Ukrainians, because the earthly journey of His Holiness Patriarch Filaret has now come to an end,” the post reads.
Epiphany called on the Ukrainian faithful to offer heartfelt prayers for the repose of the soul of the newly departed Patriarch Filaret, who has gone to the Lord.
“Let us ask the Almighty to receive him into His Heavenly Kingdom. My heartfelt condolences to the family of the departed hierarch!” he said.
“We will always remember Patriarch Filaret’s teachings on the importance of maintaining the unity of the Ukrainian Church around the Kyiv See. We will also remember and follow his lessons and teachings on the importance of conciliarity, on humility before God’s will and the will of the fullness of the Church, and on devoted service to God, the Church of Christ, and the Ukrainian people,” Epiphanius added.
What is known about Filaret
Filaret was born on January 23, 1929. From 1995 to 2018, he served as Patriarch of Kyiv and All Rus-Ukraine of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP); since December 15, 2018, he has held the title of “Honorary Patriarch.”
- The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate—an Orthodox church in Ukraine—existed from June 1992 until December 15, 2018 (as of November 14, 2019, the legal entity was dissolved). In December 2018, prior to the decision on its dissolution, it was divided into 34 dioceses, comprising over 5,000 parishes. Patriarch Filaret, the head of the UOC-KP, was granted the title of Honorary Patriarch after the Tomos of Autocephaly was granted to the successor of the UOC-KP, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
- Filaret, who was one of the founders of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, refused to recognize it in 2019. He insists that the UOC-KP still exists and that he is its patriarch.
- In early May 2019, it became clear that Filaret continues to use the official letterhead of the Kyiv Patriarchate, awards orders and medals in the name of this structure, publishes decrees in the name of the Kyiv Patriarchate, and demands their implementation from the bishops and priests of the newly established OCU.
- In May, at the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, attempts were made to convince Filaret that the UOC-KP no longer existed, but they were unsuccessful.
- In February 2020, the OCU suspended Honorary Patriarch Filaret’s powers as a member of the Synod. This occurred after Bishop Filaret (Pank) of Falesti and Eastern Moldova transferred to the UOC-KP, even though his diocese is located in Moldova and, following the establishment of the OCU, was supposed to come under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
- Last October, it became known that Patriarch Filaret had stipulated in his will that after his death, his funeral service should be conducted not by the OCU, but by the bishops of the UOC-KP.
